: markets are almost treating the fight over the debt ceiling as the sequel to a bad movie. and investors have a pretty good feel for how this cliffhanger ends. >> they don't really care about the brinksmanship until they are right up to the brink, but also, the more dangerous the fall, off the brink, they figure the less likely that it's going to happen. >> reporter: treasury secretary timothy geithner told congress today that unless it acts, the nation will not be able to pay its bills sometime around mid- february or early march. so with a month of so to go, there is no solution in sight. darren gersh, washington, d.c. >> tom: federal reserve chairman ben bernanke echoed the president's comments on the debt ceiling today, in a speech at the university of michigan, he said congress has to take action to avoid a situation where our government doesn't pay its bills. ahead of that, stocks were mixed, the blue chip dow rose almost 19 points, while the nasdaq dropped eight, and the s&p 500 down a point. >> susie: weighing on the nasdaq today: apple. the stock got crushed, on wo